Christmas Eve is just a day away now. For some it will be a day of traveling; for others it will be a day of preparation; and for still others it will be day to begin the holiday celebration with family and friends.

For Christians, today begins the celebration of Jesus’ birth, the remembrance of the long journey that Mary and Joseph made, the crowded inn and the stable where the saviour of the world would be born.

Today, we are divided over our beliefs, fraught with distress about whether to wish someone a Merry Christmas or simply a happy holiday and, in many cases, more concerned with the gifts we’ll receive than the gifts we can give.

But no matter your religious beliefs, no matter the gifts you can buy or the ones you will get, this is a day when people should set aside extremist attitudes, selfish acts and unkind thoughts to share in the joy of a moment, the stillness of a night, the thought of a peace brought about by a tiny baby in a lowly manger.

Whether we celebrate Hannukah, Kwanza, Christmas, or some other form of the holiday, celebrate we shoul, peacefully and happily, knowing that regardless what we may or may not believe, one thing is certain — it would be nice to have a day where everyone could lay down their weapons, their anger and their selfishness and try, really try, to be the people that somewhere deep inside we know we can be.

It is our hope, that as you settle into whatever celebration you will have, that you spend time with family and friends, offer a helping hand to someone whose holiday might not be as special as your own and offer gifts that don’t come wrapped in shiny paper and bright red bows — gifts of your time, your friendship, your volunteer spirit.

And, it is our prayer that each of you will find your way back to that manger, where a baby boy was born, a baby who Christians believe was destined to save the world.